The Apple
by Ihansa
Summary: Veronica Jones was just an art student visiting Germany when she met Loki. She was found by S.H.I.E.L.D. after the battle in New York City and questioned by several agents about the nature of her affair with the Asgardian god. When it was discovered she was pregnant, S.H.I.E.L.D. offered her a home on one of their bases to raise the child under their protection.
1. Waffle Saturday

Six year old Pamela Jones skipped happily down the hallway of the house. The special day was not until the next day, but at the moment she was as happy as a child on Christmas Eve. Only, this was not Christmas Eve. It wasn't a holiday and no world event would be taking place. Instead, a few agents would be taking them into the city so that her mother could grocery shop, and she was going to get to go too. Sure, it may have sounded boring to any other kid, but Pamela rarely got to see the city.

Upon reaching her mother's room she leapt onto the bed and began to gently nudge her. "Mommy?" she said softly, "Mommy, it's time to get up."

Her mother grumbled and flipped over turning her back to her daughter. "Mmmm…no, hon, it's Saturday," she sleepily mumbled, "Not yet."

"But, Mommy," she said standing up on her knees as she began to gently rock her mother back and forth, "I need you to teach me how to curl my hair. I want to look pretty tomorrow." Her mother rolled back over and faced her daughter. She smiled and tucked a strand of her daughter's ink black hair behind her ear. "Okay, sweetie," she said, "Just give me a few minutes and go get dressed." With that, the little girl hopped off the bed and excitedly skipped back down the hall to her room.

Veronica looked at their reflection in the bathroom mirror as she ran a comb through her daughter's soft wavy black hair. Pamela resembled her in a lot of ways. She had the same shaped eyes; big and round with long eyelashes, and the same full lips. There were, however, hints of her father in her appearance as well. Her hair color came from her father, and they shared the same eye color of clovery green. Her skin was an even mixture of her own light bronze tone and his fair complexion giving her the skin tone of honey. Sometimes she saw traces of him in her smile. This always gave her mixed emotions. She would do anything it took to protect her daughter from him if he ever came back, but at the same time she was grateful to him. She would not ever go back to undo her relationship with him solely because Pamela was the good that came of it.

Pamela looked up at her mother who had lost herself in her thoughts. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Veronica shook her head and smiled. "I'm fine, baby," she said, "Just thinking about a few things."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just some boring grown up things," she said, "You wouldn't be interested."

With that, she opened up the drawer and took out her curling iron. She then proceeded to show her daughter how to properly curl her hair.

Pamela twirled around in the red dress she was wearing. "Thanks, Mommy!" she said, "Can you help me tomorrow too?"

"Don't twirl around too much, sweetie," her mother said, "I didn't put any hold in your hair today, and your curls may drop."

But Pamela couldn't help it. She felt and looked like a princess. She spun so fast that she almost lost her balance and fell. Her mother caught her before she could hit the floor. "Come on, sweetie," she said, "How does waffles and whipped cream sound?"

Pamela beamed. "Can I put on the whipped cream?"

Her mother smiled and nodded.

She helped her mother get out the waffle mix and stir the batter. She wanted to add chocolate chips, but her mother said that whipped cream and syrup was enough sugar for the morning. Pamela gave her a pouty face, but this time it didn't work. "Sweetie, go turn on our favorite song," her mother said as an attempt to distract her from her disappointment. It worked. Pamela skipped into the dining room and found the speakers. She picked up her mother's iPod and scrolled to "Orinoco Flow" and pushed play and quickly skipped back into the kitchen to dance like a ballerina as her mother prepared the waffles.

Veronica hummed along with the music as her daughter twirled and twirled around her. "Could you set the table, Pamela?"

Like a good girl, Pamela danced to the pantry and grabbed some napkins, two paper plates, and two placemats and then danced back into the dining room where the music was coming from.

Veronica came in shortly after her with two glasses of orange juice. Pamela grabbed a seat behind one placemat as her mother set down the glasses and waited patiently for her to return with the plate of warm waffles. Her eyes lit up when she came back with not only the waffles, but the can of whipped cream. Her eyes lit up. Veronica laughed as her little girl just could not wait to get her hands on the can.

Pamela smiled at the can as if it were a heavenly gift. "Mommy, say 'ah,'" she said as she stood on top of the chair. Her mother leaned her head back slightly and opened her mouth. Pamela bushed the tube and she accepted the sugary treat before Pamela sprayed some into her own mouth. They both laughed as they licked their lips of any excess cream. "Let's put some on the waffles before they get cold," her mother suggested.

As she watched her daughter eat across from her, she couldn't help but wonder if she was truly happy. She was getting the education she needed from a specially hired tutor, exercise on a daily basis, and she did her best to spend as much time with her as possible, but her life was far from normal. There were few kids on the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, and those few kids were not so accepting of her. There was also the fact that her father was out of the picture. That had both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, her father was a terrible man who she should never know, but Veronica had seen a different side of him that few people did. There was also the fact that she knew Pamela would start asking questions one day. _Until then_, she thought to herself as she watched Pamela load more whipped cream on her already smothered waffle, _I'm just going to keep enjoying Saturdays._


	2. Lovely Images

_Six years ago…_

It was a lovely spring day. Königsee was beautiful. It was the most beautiful place she had ever visited. The deep blue water, clear blue sky, snow capped mountains, and luscious green meadows looked as if it had all come straight out of a fairytale. Every single detail was worthy of a photograph, and Veronica found herself wondering how she was going to capture it all in paintings. Not only because she knew capturing the very essence of the place was going to be difficult, but also because she was down to her final pennies and did not know how she was going to get home let alone buy canvas and paints. She had, yet again, proven herself to be irresponsible, but her irresponsibility led her to this lovely place. How could she be mad at herself?

She kept her camera embraced in her hands ready to capture any moment. Sometimes she even snapped a few photographs of some locals who caught her eye. After hours of exploring her gorgeous surroundings, she hitched a ride back to Berchtesgaden where she made herself comfortable at a small table at a quaint little café. She sat for a while just skimming through her photos trying to determine which pictures would be best suited for the empty canvases she imagined in her head. Although the pictures only half captured the heart of Konigsee, she still couldn't determine which one was the best. She smiled to herself as she imagined herself standing before a large canvas ready to create a masterpiece. There was nothing she loved more than imagining her finished piece on an empty canvas, mixing the paint, and the smell of the paint as she glided the brush along the canvas's thin surface.

Veronica had been so lost in her thoughts that she was nearly startled when she felt a hand gently placed on her shoulder from behind. When she looked up to view the owner of the hand, she was nearly startled again. Standing before her was a man so handsome he did not even seem human. She had to fight her impulse to snap a picture of him. He was tall with emerald colored eyes, and his jet black hair hung to his neck. His fair skin looked smooth to the touch and flawless. He almost seemed to glow. He wore a finely tailored black suit with a green tie that matched his eyes. He was perfect. She automatically began to think about what it would be like to paint him.

"My apologies for startling you," he said in a velvety smooth yet gentle voice. It was a voice that made her feel as if she would melt. "I am not familiar with such mechanics," he said pointing at her camera, "Would you mind telling me about your device?" Her eyebrows rose curiously at the stranger. Was he really suggesting that he had never seen a camera before? _Perhaps he's from a place where they still use non-digital cameras_, she thought. Then again, his suit and demeanor suggested he was of a wealthy background. "How about you tell me your name first?" she asked.

The stranger gave her a smirk. "How uncivil of me," he replied, "Loki is my name."

She was quite lovely for a human. She had long brown hair that curled just past her shoulders, skin that resembled a bronze idol and eyes that were much like silver. She would do just fine for his emergency plan.

She called herself Veronica after allowing him to sit across from her. "I'm going to assume that you are just an eccentric," she said, "so I'm going to humor you." She held her camera up to show it to him. "This is my camera," she said, "It captures scenery and moments, so I don't have to rely on my memory alone." She tapped a button with her thumb that made an image appear in a rectangle on the device she called 'camera.' He had to admit, it was impressive. "I can even catch an image of you," she said with a smile. She then turned the contraption around and pointed it at him. It made a noise as if it were charging and then made a sudden flash. She turned it around again. "See?"

There in front of him was an image of himself. "Now it's mine to keep for however long I want," she said, "Perhaps I'll paint you."

"Paint a portrait of me without my consent?"

"You asked for information," Veronica replied, "do you expect me to just give it to you without expecting payment?"

"So you wish to paint me?" he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. Of all the things this human girl could want for payment she chose to paint him. Most people, whether they be human or immortal would expect something of a little more value. She was quite a peculiar one.

Veronica nodded casually in response to his question. She had clearly made up her mind. He could tell by the way she chose to end the conversation by placing the device into her bag.

"It was certainly nice to meet you," she said, "but I need to figure out my sleeping arrangements."

She was leaving. A part of him could not believe it. Why was she not charmed by his mere presence? _If only she knew_, he thought, _that she is speaking to her future king. _"Veronica, could I ask you one more favor?" he asked as she got up from her seat.

"Perhaps," she said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, "It just depends on what this favor is."

He gripped his scepter at his side. He was ready to use it as a last resort should she not wish to comply. "I am quite unfamiliar with this place," he said, "I could very much use a guide."

She let out a laugh. Quite a lovely laugh for one that came from mortal lips. "I'm pretty sure you can tell that I'm not from around here myself," she said, "Unless you didn't notice my obnoxious American accent."

So, she wasn't from this particular region of the world. She was from the place called America. The very place where he planned to unleash his army. He gave her a grin. "Well, then," he said, "You are just as lost as I am."

"Maybe," she said, "What is your point?"

He stood up with his scepter in hand. "If you provide me with your company for the rest of the day, I will take care of your sleeping arrangements."

She opened her mouth to say something, but paused. He almost had her as he could tell she was thinking it over. "What will the rest of the day consist of?"

"Whatever you are most comfortable with," he said.

"And do these sleeping arrangements include you?"

She was rather forward, but she seemed to be growing comfortable with him. He loosened his grip on his scepter. "Only if it does not make you ill at ease."

The girl let out a sigh. He could tell that there was still a part of her that was not too sure of him, but he could also tell that she did not have a lot of resources. Trusting him was probably the smartest choice she could make; both to ensure herself with a place to sleep for the night and for her future. "Well, if I want a place to sleep tonight," she said, "I guess it wouldn't be the worst way to spend the rest of my day."

"I'm glad you think so," he said feeling a slight victory from within himself, "Shall we go then?"

She smiled. "Sure," she said, "This place was getting boring anyway."


	3. First Impressions

Agent Nakamura always found himself adjusting his collar and tie when he knocked on Veronica's door. When Nick first assigned him be her escort in and out of the base he felt like he was being demoted. Why should he, a trained combat fighter who practically grew up in the military, be assigned to baby sit the 'baby mama' of the god of chaos and lies? He figured she would be some ditsy and shallow little girl who felt entitled to everything because, after all, she was probably pretty.

He was pleasantly inaccurate.

He would never forget the first time he saw her. He was standing in front of her door and expecting the worst. He was surprised to see a very cute girl in paint stained overalls. "Hey," she said casually, "you must be Lawrence." She extended a hand. "I'm Veronica," she said, "I apologize for my messiness. I just didn't expect you so early."

"Oh, no," Agent Nakamura shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I can wait in the van if you want."

Veronica opened her mouth to answer just as the sound of a baby's crying started. "No, that's alright," Veronica said, "Come in. I could probably use your help."

Veronica led him to the baby's room. It was a bright pink room with beautifully painted red roses on the walls that he assumed she had painted herself. She reached into the white cradle and carefully scooped the fussy infant into her arms and did her best to calm her. "Shhhh…."

She was holding her daughter close and stroking her short and thick black curly hair. She was far from the stuck up and careless mother he had imagined.

She looked up at him with a slight hint of stress in her bluish silvery eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, "As soon as I get her to calm down I'll get cleaned up and changed."

Lawrence let out a sigh as he felt a little guilt for assuming she'd be some naïve little brat. "If you want," he said, "I could hold her while you get cleaned up."

Veronica's eyes brightened. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all," he said as he held his arms out. He wasn't even thinking when he made the offer, but he couldn't back out now. He wondered if the baby would give him a special 'gift' as he held her.

Veronica held her baby a while longer gently bouncing her and softly shushing her before she finally began to approach him. "Alright, Pamela," she said to the child, "This is Lawrence and he's a very nice man. He's going to hold you while I get ready to go." With that she gently placed the baby in his arms. "I'm so sorry," she said as Pamela still continued to cry, "I promise I'll get done as soon as I can. I really appreciate this."

"No problem," he said as the baby cried loudly in his arms.

He couldn't figure out how he was able to change his mind about the entire situation. He went from dreading this assignment to holding the half goddess in his arms like a caretaker, but in that moment he didn't care.

He found a white rocking chair in the room and sat on it and slowly started rocking. Pamela's cries slowly grew softer and softer until she finally quieted down. Her lids opened revealing the green eyes she had received from her father's side of genetics. She looked at him with almost confusion as if she had not even noticed her mother had left for just a moment. Her eyes then slowly started to close again as she drifted off into sleep.

Veronica had wanted to go to a music store in the city that day. She wanted to purchase an Enya CD, because she said the song Orinoco Flow helped calm her when she was a kid. She was hoping it could help calm Pamela too. There was something about the way she pushed the stroller with her sleeping baby inside and inspected each aisle carefully and how she smiled at everyone who greeted her that made him smile himself. He couldn't fathom why Loki would choose such a nice girl to have a meaningless escapade with.

He adjusted his tie once more before ringing her doorbell. "Coming!" he heard a small voice shout followed by light and small footsteps. The door swung inwardly and there stood Pamela with a beaming smile and curled black hair. "Hi, Lawrence!" she said, "Mommy is still getting ready, but she said you can come in and sit if you want."

"Thank you very much, Pamela," he said as she led him inside.

"Mom put some of the leftover waffles in the freezer," she said as they sat down in the living room, "Do you want one?"

"I'm good," he said, "Thank you for offering."

Pamela smiled as she trotted down the hall to help her mother.

Agent Nakamura didn't know exactly what it was about the two of them, but from the very first day he met them he felt completely devoted to them. Nick had informed everyone on the base that the chances of Loki returning were small, but to remain alert at all times. Just a small chance was enough for him. He wouldn't let anything hurt either of them. Ever.


	4. Grooming

**Please review! It gives me inspiration and encourages me to write more.**

He lay awake for a while just watching her sleep next to him under the covers. Her lips were slightly curled; still in the shape of a smile of bliss. He gently brushed some of the curls away from her face. He was surprised by a lot of things that took place that night. He had never expected her skin or lips to feel so soft against his own skin and lips. He didn't expect to feel slightly embarrassed when she said, "Goodness, your skin feels so cold!" He also didn't expect for her to be so coy. "I'm not like this," she said between kisses, "This is not me. I don't usually do this."

She seemed to be just as ashamed of her actions as she was excited. "Just relax, darling," he said gently returning her kisses, "I don't think ill of you."

He too took notice of the heat of her body as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he placed his hands on her hips to pull her closer. It almost felt as if he would be burned by the touch of her body, but it was a feeling he actually enjoyed. He began to gently pull her to the direction of the bed and she willingly complied as he began to trail some of his kisses down her neck taking in more of her heat that he so enjoyed. He found himself wondering if all humans were this hot.

After watching her a little while longer he decided that it was time for him to get himself dressed and ready. He would not leave her for long. He would spend a couple more days with her until he made his first introduction to her entire race. Right now, though, he needed to continue to court her. He quietly looked through the small bag she carried and noticed that it only contained a small pouch that held the little currency she had, the camera device, a hair brush, one or two wrinkled up wardrobe choices, and an even smaller brush that he could not identify it's use. He glanced back at her still sound asleep in the bed. She was too well groomed to be from a background of hardly any benefits, so he assumed that she was not only a traveler but someone who was running away from something unsatisfying. He would use this to his advantage.

Veronica woke up alone in the bed. With an annoyed sigh she fell back against the pillow and buried her head under the covers. Did she really do what she did? Did she, once again, prove to be immature and irresponsible? She had always thought one night stands were silly and never imagined herself doing anything like that, but she had proven herself to be wrong. She had slept with a man she had just met with little hesitation. "Goodness," she said aloud, "Why am I so friggin' stupid?"

After wallowing in self criticism for a few more moments she gathered up the will to step into the bathroom and give herself a nice long shower. She then wrapped herself in a warm towel and went back to the bedroom and picked up her bag. Something was not quite right. Did he look through her stuff? _You're not really the gentleman you made yourself out to be_, she thought to herself. But everything was there. He had not even taken the little bit of money she had. _What was he looking for?_

Trying not to dwell too much on it Veronica pulled out a pair of shorts and a black tank top and slipped them on before heading back to the bathroom to brush her hair and pull it back into a ponytail. When she brushed her teeth she realized that she would soon have to buy more toothpaste. _I'm really going to just have to go home_, she thought, _I can't keep living like this forever._

Once she was ready to leave she grabbed her things and headed out the door. She didn't expect to run into him midway down the stairs. He had somewhat of a curious look on his face. "Is everything alright?" he asked. His eyes were focused on her change of outfit and the bag slung over her shoulder.

"I thought you left," she said, "I didn't expect you to come back."

"Why would you think such a thing?" he asked, "Is this usually how it works?"

Veronica was a little surprised by his question. "That's why they're called one night stands."

"I'm unfamiliar with such terminology," he replied, "Would you care to explain it to me?"

She became quite confused by him. Where was this guy from? Was he really an eccentric, or was he putting on an act to get into her pants again. _Not like you wouldn't enjoy it again_, she found herself thinking, _Oh my god, Veronica. Who are you?_

"So…you're taking this seriously?" she said, "You want this to go on?"

"I did have a lovely time with you," he said, "Why would I surpass the opportunity to spend more time with you and learn about you?"

Veronica was at a loss for words. It was not a one night stand after all, and maybe she wasn't as stupid and naïve as she thought she had been. "That's…flattering," she said. It really was, but she had learned several times through several sources that this was the backwards way of doing this kind of thing.

"Leave if you must," he said softly, "But I ask that you do not leave until you receive my gifts."

She could not think of a proper response as he led her downstairs where a group of finely dressed men and women waited with full shopping bags in their hands. "I realized that you didn't possess an adequate amount of garments for a traveler, so I took it upon myself to select some for you."

Veronica could only stand there wide eyed as the people seemed to stare blankly back at her. "You really didn't need to," she said. It was all just too…unreal. Maybe she was still sleeping in the bed upstairs and this was just a bizarre dream. But she knew it didn't work that way. When she was dreaming she always thought it was real, and when she was awake she knew she wasn't dreaming.

"It was my pleasure," he responded, "It was simply an act of gratitude on my part. I wanted to illustrate my appreciation by helping you out in your travels whether you wish to spend a few more days with me or go on about your way."

"This is…." she said trying to find the right words, "…amazing. This is seriously the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a while."

She briefly turned her attention back to him. "I guess I can stay a little longer," she said, "Maybe just for another day or two." She had to make the limit, because if she stayed any longer and allowed him to continue doing such nice things she knew she would probably never leave.

Her eyes held much joy as she sorted through all of the gifts he had bought her. Because he had only spent so little time with her so far he had no idea what she preferred, so he demanded the workers of the seemingly prestigious market give him one of everything for her. "I still can't believe you did this for me," she said, "It's just so kind, and we barely know each other."

"If I may ask," he replied, "Why do you seem so shocked that someone would treat you with kindness?"

He sat at the edge of the bed leaning forward resting his elbows on his legs.

"Because life has not been so kind to me," she said, "but I don't want to bother you with my sob stories."

"Please," he said, "Bother me."

She gave him another look of surprise. It was a look he was becoming quite fond of and he wondered the look she would give him when he revealed to her who he truly was and where he came from. She would no longer need to worry about having everything she needed and wanted once her world belonged to him.

"Well," she said, "For starters I didn't grow up in a place that accepted me or my family, so that didn't make for a pleasant childhood."

"What did the people have against you?"

"Well, my mom married my dad which was a no-no that people did not take too kindly to," she explained, "And it was an even bigger no-no for her to have a little mixed breed kid like me."

Her last statement really did baffle him. Half breed? Were there other beings on this planet besides humans? "I thought you were a human?"

She let out a slight chuckle. "Unfortunately, there are certain places where people don't see things that way," she explained, "I had very few friends. People who looked like my mom couldn't seem to look passed my darker skin and people who looked like my dad couldn't get passed my lighter skin."

So, people on earth divided themselves based on different shades. He couldn't help but find this fascinating. "The rest of my family wasn't much different," she went on, "My mom's side pretty much cut off all communication with her and every time we spoke to my dad's side they would make remarks about how he need to leave my mom and find a more suitable woman. It was quite ridiculous and really hurtful to all of us. When my mom got diagnosed with stage four breast cancer neither side of the family offered to help us pay for her care. She died when I was fourteen."

"I'm saddened to hear that," he replied.

She shrugged. "I'll just leave it at that for now if that's okay," she said, "There's a lot to this that I just don't want to get into right now."

"That's quite alright," he said, "I won't make you open old wounds."

It seemed the people of this world had more flaws than he expected. They feared even themselves. Ruling them would be a simple task.


	5. Freedom

**Author's Note: ****Okay, so as much as I am enjoying writing this story I'm probably going to take a week or two off from it. I have so much I need to do and I can't put any of it off anymore. I _strongly_ encourage you to review if you enjoy what I write (or if you wish to make any suggestions as to how I can make this story better). It really encourages me to continue.**

Veronica watched as Pamela lifted her fork higher and higher trying to break the string of cheese that started from her chili fries. She usually didn't like allowing her daughter to eat such fatty foods, but she figured that today was a special day. The look in her daughter's eyes as she asked her if they could eat at the fifties diner called Tom's sold her that day. Lawrence told her that he and the other agents would take care of putting the groceries away while they dined. Veronica thanked him by giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Mommy?" Pamela asked once the cheese broke, "Why didn't Lawrence come to eat with us?"

"That's a good question, sweetie," she said as she glanced outside to see him putting away the last of the groceries. After closing the trunk of the van he glanced over and their eyes met. Veronica smiled and beckoned him with a wave of her hand. He smiled and shook his head first, but one of his fellow agents patted him on the back encouraging him to accept her invitation. "Do you think he's going to come?" Pamela asked looking from him to her mother and back to him again.

"We'll see," Veronica said.

After a few moments the other two agents seemed to join in with the encouragement and Lawrence finally began to approach the diner. "He's coming!" Pamela said brightly.

Lawrence soon reached the door and joined them at their booth. "Pamela thought it would be a good idea to invite our favorite agent to eat with us," Veronica explained. Lawrence nodded at the little girl with a smile. "That was very nice of you, Pamela," he said before taking notice of her food, "That looks really good. Would you suggest that for me?"

"Mmmmhmmm…" Pamela said nodding while chewing her food.

* * *

Pamela really liked Lawrence. Everyone else called him Agent Nakamura, but he let her and her mother call him by his name. He was really handsome too. He had wavy dark brown hair, eyes that her mother called 'hazel' (although she preferred to think of them as greenish brownish), and he had a good smile. He didn't smile at a lot of people, but he always smiled when he came over to their house or when he took them places like today. Her mother told her that some people didn't smile unless they were around people that they enjoyed spending time with. "Does that mean that Lawrence enjoys being around us?"

"I hope so," her mother said.

One thing that Pamela really liked about Lawrence was that besides her mother she really felt like he was a friend. She didn't know if she could call some of the other kids where they lived her friends. Some of them acted nice, but sometimes their parents acted weird. One time she asked her mother if she could invite a girl named Sarah over for a sleep over. Her mother said it would be fine, but Sarah's mother acted really weird about it. She said something about how if it had been anyone else she would be happy but that she needed to think about her own daughter's safety. "You understand," she overheard her say to her mother. Pamela remembered how sad her mother seemed for the rest of the day. She even seemed like she was sadder than her about it. She didn't talk a lot after that until she visited her in her room and said, "Honey, how would you like to go dancing tomorrow?"

Lawrence came the next day and they went to a restaurant of which people were singing and dancing. Pamela was too shy to get up and try herself until Lawrence offered to dance with her. She had a lot of fun dancing with him and she soon forgot how sad she and her mother were the day before. When they sat down her mother asked if she could have a turn dancing. He happily accepted her request and the two of them danced for quite a while. That was one of the best days of Pamela's life. It didn't matter how hard it was for her to make friends, because from that day on she knew that she would always have a friend in Lawrence.

* * *

Lawrence and Veronica listened intently to Pamela talk about all the highlights of the day. "I liked seeing all the buildings and the stop lights," she said, "The store was fun too, but I felt sorry for the little lobsters in the tank."

Veronica smiled. That was yet another thing she had in common with her daughter. "When I was a little girl, I felt sorry for them too," she explained, "I always wanted to buy one of them just to set it free back into the ocean."

She then saw her little girl's emerald eyes light up. "Can we do it?"

Veronica sighed regretfully. "Unfortunately," she said, "We don't live near an ocean. We couldn't set it free."

"Then we can keep it!" Pamela said optimistically, "We can get a tank and everything. He can live with us!"

"Sweetie," Veronica said, "I know that seems like a nice idea, but we would only be moving its prison. Instead of being stuck in the grocery store he would be stuck at our house and just as sad. It would never be happy living with us because it belongs in the ocean with other lobsters."

"Oh…" Pamela responded with an edge of disappointment in her voice. She was now staring down at her chili fries.

"Maybe when you are a little older," Lawrence said, "I can take you and your mother to the ocean and you can both release a lobster into the ocean."

"Really?" her eyes relit.

"We'll see," Lawrence said, "I can't make any promises, but I'll try and see what I can do."

Veronica really wanted to give Lawrence another kiss on the cheek when the song, "Where Did our Love Go?" emerged from the jukebox. "Mommy, can I dance?" Pamela asked, "I love this song!"

Veronica nodded and Lawrence got up from the booth allowing her to take her eager daughters hand. She looked at Lawrence and offered him her other hand. He, at first, looked rather reluctant. "Come on," she said, "You know you want to dance with us." He then gave her a smirk and accepted her and her daughter's hands.

* * *

Lawrence was comforted by the sight of Veronica and Pamela asleep in one another's arms from the rear view mirror as he drove them and the other agents back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. He had come to enjoy their outings and the thought that they wished to include him in the activities they engaged in outside of the errands Veronica needed to do. If one were to ask him before he had met them if he would appreciate his assignments being dragged out simply because the mother wished to do 'fun' things with her daughter he would have given a distasteful answer, but he actually liked how Veronica always tried to squeeze something in for Pamela when they went out to the city. It was nice seeing a mother so devoted to her child's happiness, and he was glad Pamela had a mother like Veronica. After all, not all children were so lucky.

His good mood sank once he entered the base and pulled up to Veronica's house. Nick and Thor had been waiting for them. _My boss and Pamela's uncle_, he thought_, This can't be good._ The other agents gently nudged Veronica awake careful not to wake Pamela. "She should probably wait in the car," one of them whispered. He saw the worried look in her eyes as she caught sight of the two in front of her house. "What's going on?" she looked at Lawrence for an answer.

"I don't know," he said, "I'll come with you to see."

* * *

Veronica felt slightly comforted as Lawrence wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close as they approached her daughter's uncle and the man who had taken care of her and her daughter for the past six years. She rarely saw either of them since Nick was usually very busy and Thor had agreed to not show up unless something important came up. They had both agreed that meeting him too soon would cause too many questions that Veronica was not ready to answer.

"We need to talk," Nick said.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, "What's going on?"

Thor and Nick exchanged glances and Nick gave Thor a nod to suggest that he tell her. "My brother's fate has been on the line since I returned to Asgard with him," he explained, "His trial is, how you humans say, currently at a stand still."

"What do you mean?"

"Loki has requested to meet his daughter," Nick said rather bluntly, "Apparently Asgardian law states that a man is entitled to have interactions with his child even if he has committed criminal acts."

For a while Veronica could only stare at them unable to form any words at all. "I…I don't understand," she said finally looking at Thor, "How did he even know about her? He was never supposed to know."

"I can assure you," Thor said, "I've never spoken a word of my niece to him."

She trusted Thor, but things just didn't make sense. "How can this be happening?"

"We are going to communicate with the Asgardians through Thor to see if we can come up with any sort of compromise that will suit both you and Loki," Nick explained. He was trying to reassure her that things would be alright in his own way, but she was not convinced. "Suits _Loki?!" _Veronica echoed, "What about what suits _Pamela?_" She turned her attention back to Thor. "How could they even consider this after everything he's done?"

Thor and Nick exchanged another look. "I can only suggest that you remain calm," Nick said, "The Asgardians are willing to make a compromise. We're going to do everything we can."

But Veronica couldn't remain calm. She felt her heart racing as she felt Lawrence's hand gently tighten on her shoulder. Her daughter's safety and well-being were at stake. How could she remain calm?


	6. Lingering

He was still quite the mystery to her. She still didn't understand where all of his kindness and interest in her was coming from. He enjoyed asking her questions about her life, but was always considerate of never getting too personal. She told him about how she grew up in the small town of St. Martin, Louisiana and how she had always loved cameras and taking pictures. She explained that at the age of ten her mother bought her some painting material and encouraged her to try painting the images she captured in photographs, and she explained that it was her mother who helped her to discover that art was the best way to escape life's troubles. "I always had my camera with me," she explained to him as they walked about in a small park near the bed and breakfast they were staying at, "I would just take pictures of everything and anything. If I had a good day, I would take pictures of everyone and anything that made it a good day. If I had a bad day, I would take a picture of everything and everyone that contributed to the day going wrong. I was always asking my parents to get the pictures developed as soon as they could so that I could start painting. I would lock myself in my room for hours just painting everything."

"If I may ask," he said, "Why paint the negative things that happen to you?"

"Because it's all a part of the story that is my life," she said somewhat playfully.

When they were out walking around town he always seemed to take notice when something caught her eye. One day as he had pulled her seat for her at a café similar to the one they first met at she saw a gold and emerald heart shaped locket around the neck of a woman not much younger or older than she was. His eyes followed her gaze and he smiled. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's pretty," she said trying not to dwell too much on it. One thing her parents taught her that she would always remember is not to dwell too much on what others had that she didn't and try to be happy with what she already had, and she was quite happy just to have Loki's company.

Their visit to café was followed by another romantic night in their room. After all the intimacy and pillow talk Veronica drifted off to sleep to wake up the next morning to Loki sitting on the edge of the bed examining a shiny piece of jewelry he held dangling in front of his face. The sunlight caught on the gold causing her eyes to squint as she slowly sat up. He felt her movement and turned and smiled at her. "I noticed you looking at it when we were dining yesterday," he said showing it to her. It was the exact emerald and gold locket she had seen on the woman's neck the day before. Veronica's eyes widened as he held it in front of her. "How…I mean…where did you get this?"

He gave her a smirk before getting up and walking around the bed to stand behind her. She couldn't figure out between the gold thread that was placed around her neck or his hands that then rested gently on her shoulders which was colder. She let out just a slight shiver. He seemed to take notice of this and removed his hands immediately. "The night was still in its prime when you fell asleep," he explained, "I decided to find you another gift. I just so happened to see the young woman who wore this necklace and explained that I was staying with a very lovely woman who couldn't take her eyes off it."

Veronica gently touched the locket with her fingers examining the heart's smooth golden surface encrusted with small emeralds at its edges. "So, she just gave it to you?" she asked.

He let out a light chuckle and sat down on the bed facing the opposite direction of her. "I'm pretty good at persuading people into doing small favors for me," he explained.

There was a part of her that thought it was just too good to be true. She just didn't feel like the average person would just give up a piece of jewelry to a stranger like that. _But maybe_, she thought, _Maybe I'm reading too much into this._ She, after all, was simply just not used to people doing that kind of favor. _It _is _possible, I guess._

* * *

"So, do you like it?" he asked her still sitting facing the window rather than her. Why did her shivering make him feel so ill at ease? So insecure. She was merely a human. The human who he hoped would bare an heir to his throne, but still a human nonetheless. She didn't always do it, but there were times such as this in which a simple touch to her bare skin with his hands would cause her to tremble. It served as a reminder for him of whom and what he really was and the lies he had been fed for his entire life by his whole family. It angered him; saddened him, but he would not let her see this. No, he would not let her see his weaknesses.

"I do," she responded before wrapping her warm arms around him from behind and leaning over to kiss his cheek. He found himself closing his eyes taking in her heat. "You know," she said, "You've been giving me so many things and I haven't given you a thing in return."

"On the contrary, darling," he said reaching up to gently stroke her arms. She didn't shiver this time. "You've provided me with the pleasure of your company."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, "You've said that before, but I want to actually _give_ you _something_. Something physical you can actually keep. I think it's only fair I return your kindness."

"If you must," he said with a sigh, "but just know that it is not required of you." She gave him another kiss on the cheek.

He couldn't stay for much longer. He knew this. He would soon need to establish his place in her world and he couldn't afford to put it off. Not while he was being searched for by that troublesome S.H.I.E.L.D. organization and this new team the one called Hawkeye informed him of. He had to start focusing once again on the bigger task at hand.

She slowly removed her arms from him and got up from the bed. "I'm going to get cleaned up," she said, "Then I'm going to go out and work on getting the materials I need for your gift." He found himself missing the warmth of her embrace. "Do you need me to come along?" he asked as she begin to draw some water to bathe.

She laughed lightly. "That would spoil the fun of the surprise, don't you think?"

He continued to stare out the window. This would work in his favor. She would return to their room to find that he was missing. Once he succeeded at conquering her world he would return for her; the carrier of his heir, and he would see to it that she would never need or want for anything more for as long as she should live.


	7. Worry

**Author's Note: I'm happy to have been able to post two chapters this week. I will do my best to post in another week, but I can't promise anything. Christmas is almost here and I really need to catch up on my holiday shopping. I also have work to catch up on, so whether I have another chapter up within a week depends on where I'm at with everything in my life. Thanks for the reviews! They really keep me motivated. If you like this chapter or would like to share your thoughts on it please feel free to leave another review!**

Since they returned from the city Pamela noticed that her mother was not acting the same. She seemed very tired and sad. She wasn't smiling as often. Even when Pamela put on their favorite song and danced like a ballerina she didn't seem to want to smile. When she asked her if she was okay her mother took her into her arms and said everything was fine. "I'll never let anyone hurt you," she told her as she held her tightly, "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Mommy," she replied, but something about this made her worry. Something was making her mother sad, but she wasn't telling her what it was.

There were a few mornings of which Pamela would wake up in her bed to find herself in her mother's arms. Part of it comforted her. Her mother was warm and she smelled like flowers because of the shampoo she used, but when she woke up like this she wondered why her mother would choose to lie in bed with her. Was she going to go away? The thought terrified her, but she knew if she asked her mother would just tell her that she loved her and that nothing bad was ever going to happen to her.

She started to make waffles and pancakes every morning instead of just on Saturdays, and instead of just whipped cream she would allow her to have ice cream. At first, Pamela thought it was pretty cool, but after a week she wished her mother would just make oatmeal or fruit salad like she did before. She wouldn't tell her this, though, because when her mother made waffles and pancakes she would smile again if only for a little bit.

After a few weeks Lawrence paid them a visit. Pamela was so happy to see him when she answered the door. "Is your mother available?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah, she's painting," she said, "But…if it's okay…can I talk to you first?"

She saw Lawrence's eyebrows raise slightly. "What's the matter?"

Pamela stepped forward and gently closed the door behind her. "Is my mommy going to go away?"

Lawrence let out a small chuckle. "No, Pamela," he said, "I can assure you that your mother is not going anywhere."

Pamela sighed. "She's acting like she's sad," she said, "She's acting like something really really bad is going to happen, but when I ask her what is going on she won't tell me. She just gives me a hug and says how she won't let anyone hurt me."

"That's because she is your mother," Lawrence explained, "She would do everything and anything if it means keeping you safe."

"But…I just feel something is wrong," Pamela said.

Lawrence removed his shades and hooked them on his collar revealing his goldish greenish eyes that she enjoyed looking at. They always made her feel safe and happy. "Sometimes," he said, "When a mother loves her child very much she worries. Sometimes loving someone so much can hurt, but in a good way."

Pamela felt a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he went on running a hand through his wavy hair, "Sometimes when a person loves someone so much they can't help but think about all the bad things that can happen to that person and fear they won't be able to protect them from everything."

Pamela tilted her head. "So, you're saying that my mommy is just afraid of not being able to protect me from bad stuff?"

Lawrence nodded his head. "Hmmm…" she said tapping her lip and looking out into space. She thought about it for a few moments before turning her attention back to him. "I _guess _that makes sense."

"You have a good mother," Lawrence assured her, "She's just a little stressed right now. Sometimes grown ups have a lot to deal with. Just be patient, okay?"

Pamela nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Lawrence."

* * *

Lawrence didn't know what exactly to say to Pamela without intruding. As much as he enjoyed feeling like he was a part of her and her mother's family, he knew he really wasn't.

The door opened behind Pamela and there stood Veronica. "Sweetie," she said to Pamela, "Could you give Lawrence and me a few minutes. I need to talk to him about something important."

Pamela nodded and did as her mother asked. He could tell the little girl was still really worried, and he couldn't blame her.

"Thanks for coming over," Veronica said. Lawrence immediately understood what Pamela was talking about. Veronica just did not give off the air of positivity that she normally did. She, instead, seemed very tired and stressed out. Her curly hair that was usually worn loose over her shoulders was tied back in a bun and under her eyes he could see just faint half circles. He could tell she wasn't sleeping well. "Of course," Lawrence said.

Veronica only offered him a small closed-lip smile; not her normal upbeat smile. "I wanted to ask you something," she said, "Do you remember a few weeks ago when we were eating at that restaurant and you told Pamela that you would see what you could do about taking us to the ocean to free a lobster when she was a little older?"

"I do," Lawrence said as he began to develop an uneasy feeling.

"I was wondering what the possibility of doing that within the next couple of weeks would be."

Lawrence was unsure how to answer that question. He had told Pamela that he would try to see what he could do when she was a little older because he knew doing such a thing with them at that time would be out of the question. Nick would not approve of taking her that far away from the base at such a young age.

"Veronica," Lawrence said, "I don't think that's a possibility."

She let out a disappointed sigh. "That's unfortunate," she said cupping her elbows.

"If you don't mind me asking," he said, "What brought this on?"

"I just wanted to do something nice with her," she said, "Life is short, you know. You just don't know what tomorrow brings."

"You're a good mother, Veronica," he said as he reached over to rest a hand on her shoulder, "That's all she needs you to be."

Veronica lightly nodded but it was not sincere. "She's worried about you," he said, "She's afraid something is going to happen."

"Well," she said, "Something _is _going to happen. She's going to find out who her father is, and it could very well ruin her."

"What do you mean by ruin her?"

"She's going to find out that she's not like everyone else and she's going to think there is something wrong with her," Veronica explained, "She's going to realize why the other kids's parents didn't want them to play with her and she's going to feel badly about herself. I don't know if I can take watching her in pain like that."

Lawrence could see her bottom lip start to tremble. "I understand that," he said, "but like I said, you are a good mother. She will get through it as long as she has you to help her get through it. She is a lucky kid to have you as a mother."

"I didn't want her to have to get through this," she said as her voice began to grow shaky, "Since the day she was born I hoped that she would never have to see him. I didn't plan on hiding the truth from her forever. I just wanted to wait until I felt she was ready to know. That's all I thought she needed. Just to know. If she just knew it would be okay. She could just be aware of who he was without ever having to see him and just live a normal life. I just want her to be happy for her last few days of not knowing. That's all I want."

She could no longer hold it in and he saw the tears begin to escape her grey eyes. He immediately took her into his arms. "I can't say what is going to happen," he said softly as she wrapped her arms around him, "but I know Pamela is going to be alright. As long as she has you she will be alright."

* * *

Lawrence waited until her tears were dried and she was as composed as she could be before leaving. She had been fighting the urge to cry for weeks. She just didn't want to do it in front of Pamela. Now that she had let out her tears she felt a little better, but there were still so many things she worried about. She worried about even more than what she told Lawrence. She was sure that Loki had ulterior motives and she didn't want her daughter to be involved in them.

She found Pamela in her room brushing one of her dolls's hair and humming a tune. _Maybe everyone else sees her as the god of mischief's daughter_, she thought, _but she's only a kid._ She was not a monster like her father. She was nothing like him. _But what if he tries to change her? _she thought. She was only a little girl, and she feared the kind of influence her father could have on her.

Veronica sat next to Pamela on the bed. "So, what did you need to talk to Lawrence about?" Pamela said as she continued to brush her doll's hair.

"Just some more boring grown up stuff," she said, "but do you know what I feel like doing right now?"

Pamela looked up at her mother curiously.

"I feel like dancing like a ballerina."

Her daughter's eyes brightened with excitement. "Can I dance too?" she asked.

"Of course," Veronica said, "You'll be the most beautiful ballerina in the world."

Without another word Pamela ran to the dining room and Enya's voice soon echoed throughout the walls of the house, and the two of them danced for the rest of the afternoon.


	8. The Winter Princess

**Author's Notes: After being absent for a little over a month I have posted a new chapter. Thank you for your patience! As always, if you like it or want to offer me some constructive criticism that you think can help me make this story better please feel free to leave a review!**

Pamela sat at the dining room table coloring in a book Lawrence had helped her pick out during one of their outings. It was a book full of fairies and flowers. The picture she had been coloring with much care was of a beautiful princess and above her was a label that read in pretty twisty letters, "The Princess of Winter." She had long hair that rested over her shoulders and a long thin magical wand that cast ice over autumn leaves that were falling from the trees. Pamela had wanted to color her for a while, but she preferred coloring each picture in order. She colored each picture with care, however, not wanting to rush through any of them just to get to Princess Winter. She liked all the fairies and flowers in the book and she wanted to be fair with all of them, but she was delighted to finally get to her favorite picture in the book. She gave her black hair and green eyes like her own and chose the "golden rod" crayon to color in the skin. She was about midway through when she heard the doorbell ring. It startled her making her jump slightly in her seat. "Pam, honey," her mother called from the other room, "Can you peek out the window and see who that is?"

Pamela hoped that it was Lawrence. She really wanted to show him all of the pictures she had colored. She imagined the smile on his face when he saw how good she was at it. She got up from her chair and pushed the curtains of the window behind her to peek outside. It wasn't Lawrence. Instead it was a blonde man she had never seen before. There was something different about him that she just couldn't figure out. He was very handsome and he was dressed kind of funny in what looked like a suit of armor and a red cape. He kind of looked like a prince from a fairy tale. Without another thought Pamela left the dining room and headed for the front door. "Who is it?" her mother asked.

"It's a prince, Mommy!" she said excitedly as she twisted the knob.

"Pamela! Wait! Don't ans—"

But Pamela had already pulled open the door. The prince was even more handsome up close and she couldn't help but smile at him. He looked a little surprised to see her. She could tell that even though he looked big and strong that he was a little bit uneasy, but it didn't take long for his face to soften. "Young one," he said gently, "is your mother home?"

Something about the way he looked and spoke to her seemed strange. She knew that she didn't know this man, but it almost seemed like he knew her. The warmth of his smile made her feel like they had met many times before. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sounds of her mother's footsteps approaching her. "Pamela," she said in a scolding tone, "What did I tell you about answering the door without—"

Pamela turned to see why her mother stopped talking to see her standing behind her and looking at the prince instead of her. She looked as if the Winter Princess in her book had just tapped her on the head with her wand. She looked frozen in place as she stared at him. For a moment, the three of them stood in silence, and Pamela began to worry if she was in trouble and what kind of trouble she may have been in. She knew she was not supposed to answer the door without her mother telling her it was okay, but she never did until now. She just could not contain her excitement about seeing a prince at their door, but if she knew that her mother would have acted like this she would have happily waited for her to answer the door.

"Pamela, sweetie," her mother said finally breaking the silence, "I need you to go up to your room. This man is an old friend of mine and I need to talk about some important things with him."

"Do I have to?" Pamela said. She really wanted to know who the prince was and where he came from.

"Yes, honey," she said, "I'll explain everything in good time."

Pamela let out a sigh but did as her mother said.

* * *

"She resembles him in more ways than I expected," Thor said once Pamela was out of hearing range. Veronica nodded solemnly. "Have they reached a verdict yet in regards to her meeting him?" Veronica asked.

"Everyone is approaching this matter with great care," he explained, "The Asgardians and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents of Earth are in the process of determining what is best for Pamela. They are trying to conclude if it is best for Pamela to visit Loki in Asgard or if it would be better if Loki came back to Earth to visit her under close watch. There are risks associated with both options."

"I understand," Veronica said, but all she could think was that there would be no risk at all if Pamela was simply not required to meet him at all.

"I'm here because I believe it would be just if you, her mother, had a voice in the final decision," he said.

Veronica almost felt as if a large weight of worry had been lifted off of her shoulders. For a while she had been wondering if _anyone_ was going to ask her for her opinion at all. "Thank you," she said before taking a few moments to ponder the best option. She did not want Pamela going to Asgard. She had barely seen the world outside of the base, and she felt like it would be too much for her daughter to be introduced to a completely new world. At the same time, however, she knew she would be risking the safety of everyone if Loki were to return to Earth, but she would do anything to allow her daughter feel at least a little bit of normalcy.

"I would prefer it if he came to us," Veronica said finally, "and I know both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the people of Asgard feel, for whatever reason, that I should have little say in the decision, but could you at least tell them a condition that I would prefer to be met?"

"I will tell them your condition," he said, "but I cannot promise that it will be considered."

"That's fine," Veronica said, "I just want to speak my piece in whatever way I can."

Thor gave her a nod before she continued. "I don't want Loki to tell her that he is her father," she said, "I want to be the one to tell her, and I want to do it when I feel we are both ready for the truth."

* * *

Pamela was halfway finished coloring the Winter Princess's face when her mother walked into her room and sat next to her on the bed. "Mommy," Pamela said, "Who was that man?"

Her mother let out a sigh and lifted her daughter into her lap. "He's an old good friend of Mommy's," she explained.

"Is he a prince?" Pamela asked, "Why was he dressed so funny?"

She heard her mother let out a light chuckle before answering her. "He's something like a prince, I guess," she said, "and he was dressed that way because he comes from a far away place."

"Oh…well, where does he come from?"

She felt her mother's warmth as she gently tightened her arms around her. She felt like she could just take a nap right there in her mother's lap. "Honey, I need to tell you something," she said.

Pamela leaned against her mother as if she were a soft pillow. "What is it?"

"You might be meeting someone very soon that I used to call a friend," she explained.

"What do you mean?" Pamela asked, "Is he another prince?"

"Kind of, sweetie."

"When do I get to meet him?"

"Soon," her mother replied, "but when you do I want you to be on your best behavior. Also, I want to tell you that he is a funny friend. He's a bit of a trouble maker, so if he starts to talk about stuff that doesn't seem to make sense I want you to change the subject. Can you do that for me?"

Pamela nodded and she felt her mother's soft warm lips press gently against the top of her head. "That's my girl," she said, "I'll call you when lunch is ready."

Pamela could hardly contain her excitement when her mother left her room. She was so occupied with the fact that she had actually met a prince and that she would soon meet another one that she accidentally picked up a blue crayon that she had used to color the snow around the Winter Princess to finish coloring in her face. She looked sadly at the fairy realizing that she had given her a face that was half made out of snow.


	9. Tangled Web

**Author's Notes: Eh...not entirely sure if I'm happy with this. I might edit it. I'm more than willing to take suggestions if you leave some in a review.**

Pamela picked out a yellow sundress and asked her mother if she could curl her hair again. If she was really going to be meeting a prince she wanted to look her best. "How do I look?" she asked her mother. She noticed that her mother's skin that was usually dark seemed very pale.

"Very beautiful as always, sweetie," she said with a smile but with a voice that didn't match. She couldn't understand why her mother was not as excited as she was. "Are you nervous, mommy?" she asked believing that was the only explanation for her mother's behavior.

Her mother smiled at her again and kissed the top of her head. "A little, sweetie," she said, "I haven't spoken to this old friend for a very long time, so I'm a bit anxious about our meeting."

"Don't worry," Pamela said smiling at her mother through the mirror, "I'm sure he'll still like you."

* * *

It didn't take long for Lawrence to arrive to pick them up. He was always really good about arriving more than punctually, but Veronica almost wished he would have been a little late. She was in no hurry to introduce her daughter to her father. "So…are you ready?" he asked her as he stood in the doorway. Pamela excitedly answered for both of them. "Yes, we're ready!" Lawrence looked down at the small child and smiled before offering her his hand which she immediately took. He then gave Veronica a reassuring smile. "It will be alright," he said. She nodded in response, but she wished she could actually feel like what he said was true.

Lawrence had informed her the night before how everything would work. For the benefit of Pamela's well-being, S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided Loki with a facility that resembled a house more than it did a prison. Everyone, including Veronica, thought it was better for her daughter to see her father more as a normal person than as a prisoner. "He is," Lawrence continued, "heavily guarded. He has no physical weapons, and although he has agreed to refrain from using any of his natural abilities a few Asgardians have accompanied him to earth and will standby during the course of his visit in case he decides to try anything."

"I understand," she said.

"Also," Lawrence said before clearing his throat, "He has made one more request about tomorrow."

Veronica noticed that Lawrence seemed to look a little easy. His hands rested in his pockets and his hazel eyes shifted towards the ground. She had never seen him this way before. For as long as she knew him he had always remained composed and unhesitant to share anything with her. Even when she had been so emotionally distraught in the weeks following up to this moment he remained calm and collected as he comforted her. Now, even though it was only a subtle difference to the demeanor he had demonstrated in the few years she had known him; his behavior was starting to make her quite uncomfortable.

"Well," Veronica asked after an awkward pause, "What is his request?"

Lawrence removed his hands from his pockets and straightened his tie. "When Pamela visits him tomorrow," he said before clearing his throat again, "He wants you to be there too. He wants to see you again."

Veronica felt as if her heart would jump out of her chest. She took a few minutes to take in what he said. Why would he want to see her again? What was there in it for him to gain? She denied any chance that his reason for requesting her presence was due to any feelings he may have had for her. There had to be another reason. "I don't understand," Veronica said, "Why does he want to see me again?"

"I have a few ideas," Lawrence said, "but I don't think anything is certain with him."

"Well, why do you think?" Veronica asked.

Lawrence raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "My guess is because he wants the mother of his child present when he meets her," he suggested, "Although, I never thought of him to be the family oriented type."

Veronica had actually planned to request being there with Pamela when she met Loki for the first time, but she hadn't expected him to actually want her to be there. "I'm not against the idea," she admitted, "so I will agree to it."

Maybe it was the flickering light on her porch, but for a moment Veronica felt as if she saw Lawrence's jaw twitch. She wanted to ask him if he was okay, but decided that she was probably just seeing things. "I'll be sure to inform Nick right away," he said with a nod, "Have a good night." And without another word he turned and walked down the steps of her porch and headed towards his vehicle.

Now she was witnessing Lawrence open the sliding door of the van for Pamela who was more than happy to hop right in her seat and buckle up her seat belt. Veronica took a deep breath and followed behind her. "I'm so happy!" Pamela said to her as she fastened her own seat belt, "This is so exciting! I wonder what he looks like. Is he handsome like the other prince? I hope he likes me."

Veronica smiled as she gently played with the curls on her daughter's head being careful not to mess them up. "Sweetie, there's nothing about you that he shouldn't like."

It was only about a twenty minute ride, but the trip to the area of which they were keeping Loki seemed like a long journey that would never end. Veronica felt like her heart would escape her chest as it got faster and faster as they got closer and closer to their destination. Although they were still on the base, the area surrounding the disguised prison seemed almost as if it was in the middle of nowhere. There were no nearby buildings or houses. Just as Lawrence explained it looked like a normal one story house. It was mostly white and surrounded by a large square of bright healthy green grass. One significant difference was that this house was surrounded by guards. "Why are there so many people surrounding his house?" Pamela asked as Lawrence parked in front of the house.

"Well," Veronica replied, "He's a prince, and sometimes royalty requires a lot of protection."

Pamela nodded, but something in her eyes made her feel as if her daughter was not completely convinced by her answer. "Pamela," Lawrence interjected, "Do you remember when I took you and your mother out to the city and we went into that store with all of the televisions?"

Pamela looked up at Lawrence and smiled. "Yeah, I remember that," she said, "Those screens were really big."

"Yes, they were," he said, "And do you remember seeing Princess Kate and Prince William on them?"

"Mmmhmmm," she replied, "Princess Kate was in a very pretty dress."

"Well, do you remember all of the people standing close to them?"

"Yeah."

"Those people were like the people you see in front of this house that he's staying at," he explained, "It's their job to make sure nothing bad happens to him or the people who visit him."

Pamela still didn't seem entirely convinced, but she offered Lawrence a smile and a nod. "I get it," she said. Veronica wondered as she gazed at the house how long it would take for everything to just fall apart. Pamela was sure to notice her resemblance to him, and sooner or later she was going to start asking questions about who her father was. She was going to have to come clean soon. _But not today_, she thought, _Soon, but not today_. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the sliding door opening. Pamela eagerly unbuckled her seat belt and took Lawrence's hand before hopping out of the van. "Come on, Mommy!" she said.

Veronica tried to smile, but she was finding that it was getting harder and harder to fake it. Her eyes met Lawrence's who was once again trying to reassure her that things would be fine. "You don't have to do this alone," he said softly as he helped her out of the van, "I can come with you."

Veronica shook her head. "It's okay," she said, "I think Pamela and me should see him alone…at least alone as we can be. It's probably best."

"Well, if anything goes wrong," he said, "I won't hesitate to barge in if you call me."

She lightly squeezed his hand before giving him a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you," she said softly before hearing Pamela giggle. She turned and looked at her grinning daughter who seemed to approve of what she just did. "Are you ready, sweetie?" she asked. The little girl's emerald eyes seemed to glow as she offered her hand. The two of them began to walk towards the house leaving Lawrence and the van behind.


	10. Inside the Prison

**AN: Okay, everyone, I was able to update again, but I might disappear for a few weeks again. I have so much on my plate right now. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember to leave a review. I'm not sure if I'm 100% happy with this chapter, so don't be surprised if I replace it.**

He smiled as he waited in a hidden room within his disguised prison. He had only been informed a few days ago the name of his child.

_A lovely name, Pamela_, he thought sitting in a chair in the windowless and empty room. Although he knew that caring about such things should be considered a weakness, he couldn't deny that there was a small part of him that felt slightly resentful that he would not be permitted to reveal who he was to his child. He, however, did not protest. Arguing against the wishes of Veronica would only keep him away from her and she would play a crucial role if he wanted to go through with the backup plan he had in mind since the day he first laid eyes on Veronica.

One thing he knew he couldn't deny from the day he returned with his brother to Asgard was his guilt from leaving Veronica without so much of a final good-bye. She had seemed so excited to surprise him with a gift and he had fled to fulfill his plans as soon as she had left.

One of the first things he had done when he had lost the battle with his brother and his pesky team was inform them of her. He told them of their relationship and that he had left her alone in the room they had shared. He had had the workers keep watch of her and ensure that she did not leave until he returned. He had been so confident that he would win the battle and return for her. He would have explained everything to her then. He would have told her about who he truly was and where he came from and why it was necessary for him to leave her like he did, but he unfortunately never got that chance. He was sure she was only told of all of the events from a biased perspective.

He should not have cared so much of what she thought. She was only meant to be a vessel for the heir he hoped to have, but when he thought of her he couldn't help but imagine the warmth of her soft bronze skin, lovely silver grey eyes, and the sound of her laugh. It didn't take him long to realize that once he had fulfilled his need to rule over her world that he wanted her at his side.

He had absolutely no way of knowing whether or not Veronica had carried his child or not when he had made a request to the council to meet her, but once he saw his brother's uneasy response he knew he was successful. He did not expect her reaction to his knowledge of their child to be favorable, so he was not surprised when his brother informed him that the very thought of his return brought her to the brink of tears, but things would change once she got the opportunity to see things the way he wanted her to see them.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the knob of the door being opened. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent entered to inform him that Veronica and Pamela had arrived before proceeding to remind him of the rules he was to follow and that both the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on duty and the Asgardians who accompanied him to earth would act appropriately should he give them any reason to. He simply smirked when asked if he understood and the agent took that as a "yes" before escorting him out of the room and up a flight of stairs.

On the top of the flight of stairs was a door that led into the part of his prison that was said to resemble the kind of place humans usually resided. Although it was measly compared to the places most Asgardians lived in, it did have a comfortable feel to it. The walls were white and decorated with paintings of earthly scenery, the floor was wooden and sleek, and rooms were filled with soft and comfortable furniture. The hope, apparently, was that Pamela would assume that it all belonged to him.

The agent led him to a dining area and had him sit at a table. "They will be brought to you," he said, "Do not move."

* * *

Pamela felt her mother's hand gently squeeze hers as they entered the house. It looked really pretty inside and very clean. _Of course_, she thought, _He's a prince. He probably has a lot of people to help him keep everything clean._ She found herself wishing she could be a princess so she wouldn't have to clean her room all by herself.

"Mommy," she said as her eye caught a painting of a snowy mountain, "Look at this!"

She let go of her mother's hand and ran up to it. "Isn't it pretty?" she asked.

"Yes it is, sweetie," her mother responded, "but we shouldn't keep my friend waiting."

Pamela gazed at the picture for a few moments longer before taking her mother's hand again. "You know, sweetie," her mother said as they continued to walk, "That painting looks a lot like the place where I met the friend you are meeting today."

"Was it as pretty as the picture?" she asked.

Her mother let out a soft laugh that almost suggested that she was sad rather than happy. "I don't think any sort of picture could really capture how beautiful it really was," she said as they followed the agent into a hallway.

Pamela felt herself growing nervous as they walked further and further down the hall and closer to a doorway of which she could see part of an empty table. _Is he in there?_ she wondered. She began to worry that the prince would not like her or be as friendly as the prince she had met not too long before. It was now her hand that was squeezing her mother's, but her mother looked down and gave her a reassuring smile. "He'll like you," she whispered, "I know he will."

Before she knew it they were standing at the doorway and looking at the table that turned out not to be empty at all. On the other side sat a handsome man with black hair and green eyes. His hands were folded in front of him and he seemed to be thinking hard about something before he lifted his head to meet her eyes. She couldn't tell if he was surprised or happy. His eyebrows lifted slightly as if he hadn't expected something about her to be the way it was. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said in a voice that immediately comforted her in a way she could not explain, "I believe your name is Pamela, is it not?"

Pamela nodded her head finding herself unable to speak. She was so excited that the prince already seemed to like her.

* * *

Pamela was not hesitant to pull out her own chair and sit at the table, but Veronica felt almost as if she couldn't move. There before her was the man she didn't think she would ever see again.

She told herself over and over again before this meeting that she was smarter now…more grown up, but upon seeing him there felt herself transported back to their first meeting in Germany. When he took his attention off of her daughter to look at her she knew that she was no stronger than she was all those years ago. He could still charm her if he wanted to.

She started to take a step towards the table when she saw him get up from the table and walk smoothly towards her. He was dressed in a similar manner to how he was in Germany when they met; in a nicely tailored suit. _He's not going to get me this time_, she thought to herself. He held out his hand to her as if he wished to shake. "I've long awaited this reunion," he said gently.

Veronica was almost afraid to touch his hand realizing that it would probably trigger even more memories of their time together, but knew it would look strange to Pamela if she didn't accept his hand. It still felt cold to the touch as he brought it up to his lips. She felt her heart flutter, but did her best to keep a neutral expression on her face. "It's good to see you again," she said unable to figure out if she was stretching the truth for Pamela's benefit or not.


	11. Temptation

**AN: I apologize for my absence. I was working tirelessly on a thesis and finishing the MA program. Since then, I have been using most of my time for job hunting. It looks like I might have found one. Wish me luck guys! This chapter is a little shorter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.**

Pamela beamed up at both the handsome prince and her mother. They looked so beautiful from her view between them. She had a craving to try to draw them. "Prince Loki?" she asked, "Do you have any paper or crayons?"

The prince raised his eyebrows as if she was speaking an unfamiliar language. She giggled at his expression before looking up at her mother. "Mommy? Did we bring any?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetie," Veronica said, "But perhaps one of the guards can find something for you."

Pamela turned her attention to the agent who led them to the room they were in. He nodded at the other agents before leaving the room.

Pamela turned her attention back to the prince. "Are there any princesses where you come from?"

The prince curled his lips in a way that seemed eerily familiar. It was almost as if she had seen it before even though she had never met him until that day, but there was something comforting about it. "No, my dear," he said, "There is my brother and myself, but we have no sisters, so there are no princesses at this time."

"Oh…" Pamela said feeling somewhat disappointed. A part of her hoped he knew some princesses. As much as she was excited to be talking to a real prince, she felt there may have been at least a small chance she could meet a princess in the future. "But…if you get married," Pamela said, "Wouldn't she become a princess?"

"Pamela, sweetie," her mother interrupted, "It's not polite to ask that kind of a question to someone you just met."

"Oh, it's quite alright, Veronica," Loki responded with another smirk, "I'm not troubled at all by her questions."

* * *

Veronica surprisingly found that her heart rate seemed to slow down. She couldn't believe how…fatherly Loki was towards her daughter. He engaged patiently in her questions and smiled as she gently dragged the black and green crayons across the smooth surface of the paper. Her guard remained up, however, because he had been just as charming as her when they first met. Still, she couldn't deny that the sight of them together just seemed right. "You are quite the artist," he commented as her daughter continued to draw, "You know, your mother once said she would work on a painting of me."

"Did she?" Pamela asked with a tilt of the head.

"Unfortunately, it never happened."

She saw her daughter confusedly frown before turning her attention to her. "Why didn't you paint him?" she asked.

Veronica slightly pursed her lips. Why did he have to bring up the past? Why couldn't he have just used this time to get to know his daughter? "Due to circumstances beyond my control, I never got the chance," she responded.

"Tell me, Veronica," Loki said giving her an inquisitive look, "Do you still have that…what did you call it? Ah, yes. Camera. The one with my image on it?"

She saw her daughter's eyes widen. "Mommy? You have a picture of him?"

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Veronica held in her frustration. "Loki, old friend," she said through her teeth, "May I have a moment alone with you?"

"Most certainly," he said in a charming tone.

Veronica looked down at her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her head careful not to mess up the curls. "Honey, we'll be right back."

"Am I in trouble?" she asked.

"Not at all, sweetie," she said, "I just have to talk to my friend about something."

The two of them got up and entered a room in which they were not completely alone thanks to the agents standing by in it as well, but it was close enough. "Such a shame we can't truly be alone," Loki said as if he read her mind, "I certainly did not expect you to want to relive the past, but I'm certain neither of us would be comfortable doing such a thing as we are being watched."

"Loki, just stop!" she snapped. He raised his eyebrow with surprise, but not without manipulative curl across his lips. "What do you think you are doing asking her questions like that?"

"My apologies," he said, "But I'm not sure I know what you are talking about."

"You know," she said, "I learned a lot about you after the events of your last visit to this planet, so your innocent act is not going to work."

He let out a chuckle. "How unfortunate," he responded, "but I still am unsure what you speak of."

"How about the questions about the past? About us?"

"Ah," he said, "Surely, _our _child is going to be curious about the day we met."

"Yes," Veronica said, "And that is for _me _to tell her when the time is right."

"I understand," he said, "But I should warn you, it's better she find out sooner from either her mother or father than to find out for herself."

"Well, it's certainly not going to be from you!" Veronica said.

"Very well," he said with only a hint of his smirk left, "My apologies."

"Next time you mention anything about the past," Veronica said, "Pamela and I will be leaving."

Loki smiled and took a step closer to her. "Really now?"

She felt her heart leap as she almost felt his eyes examine her face, neck, and down her body before coming back up to her face. "Funny," he said taking another step, "I would have thought Asgardian law would have been explained to you. As her father, I am entitled to be apart of her life."

She found herself taking a step back only to be greeted by a wall at her back. His face was now only inches from hers, and as he spoke she could feel his cold breath tickling her skin. "It would be a real shame if the friendship between your world and mine be threatened simply because rules were broken."

She wanted to turn away, or at least she wanted to believe she did. She found herself remembering what it had been like to kiss him all those years ago. "Too close, Loki," said one of the agents. It was just the interruption she needed to come to her senses and gently push him away from her. "Pamela is waiting for us," she said before leaving to rejoin their daughter in the other room. _Next time_, she thought, _Lawrence will be joining us._


	12. Emerging Truth

After their little…private time, the rest of the visit seemed to fly by. It seemed over so quickly. Veronica watched her daughter gather up all the pictures she drew, tap them on the table to line them up, and hand them to her father with a beaming smile. "These are for you," she said. He returned her smile, and for that moment Veronica saw a strong resemblance between the two. She had always seen the similarity in the way their lips curled up in a way that could have either suggested delight or mischief, but now that she was seeing them together it added a whole new element of reality. She couldn't deny that part of what she was seeing just seemed right. "Thank you, darling," he said, "You and your mother are welcome to visit anytime during my stay, that is, if your mother permits it."

Veronica saw her daughter's eyes sparkle as her smile widened before turning to face her. _Not too long ago, you emphasized the fact that I had no choice_, Veronica thought bitterly to herself before she heard the sound of her daughter begging to come back the next day. "Can we? Please?!" Pamela asked clasping her hands together as if reciting a prayer. "Well," Veronica said twirling a finger through one of Pamela's curls, "I guess if the prince says it's okay, then it is."

Pamela threw her arms in the air as if celebrating victory before throwing them around her. "Thank you, Mommy!" she squealed. She then quickly released her and gave Loki the same treatment. The god seemed a little taken aback at first when their daughter embraced him almost seeming to freeze, but soon placed a comforting hand on her head. "I look forward to seeing you again," he said so gently Veronica could have been fooled into believing he was the charming gentleman he had made himself out to be all those years ago.

* * *

Lawrence noticed that Pamela did most of the talking during the ride home while Veronica was not saying much at all. "He said that Mommy took a picture of them when they first met and she was going to paint it, but he never got to see it," she said as they walked to the front doorstep of their house, "He also let me draw pictures of him, and he said that I'm as good as Mommy is. I gave him the pictures and he's going to keep them!"

"That's very nice," Lawrence said trying to smile without clenching his teeth, "Could you give your mother and me just a quick second? There's something I need to talk to her about."

Pamela tilted her head curiously. "Hmmmm…you guys are wanting to talk alone about grown up stuff an awful lot," she said, "Is there something going on?"

Lawrence didn't want to lie to Pamela, so he turned his attention to Veronica. "Pamela, sweetie," she said, "We have something very important to talk about. It involves something very difficult I'm going through, but I've decided to let you in. I just need to talk to Lawrence first. Just wait nicely in your room and I'll be up in a few minutes to explain everything to you."

Lawrence then watched the little girl's make a change from a look curiosity to worry. "Okay," she said, "I hope it's not bad."

She gave Lawrence a hug before bidding him farewell and entering the house and closing the door behind her.

They both waited a few moments before saying anything to one another. It was as if they were both thinking the same thing; they had to make sure Pamela was not listening at the door. Veronica cracked open the front door enough to see inside, but not enough to make a sound. When she saw that her daughter was nowhere around she closed the door and nodded her head. "So…you're really going to tell her?" Lawrence asked.

"I have no choice," she said, "When we had our visit with Loki today, I realized I may not be able to hide it for that much longer. They share so many traits, Lawrence. She is a part of both of us, and I don't think I can force myself to deny his part much longer."

"Do you think she's ready?" Lawrence asked raising an eyebrow. What he really wanted to ask was what had happened during their visit and why she was so quiet about it on the way home, but he kept it to himself. "I'm not sure, but I don't think she'll ever be ready to hear it from him," she said, "and judging by his attitude today, I don't think I can trust him to keep it to himself."

Veronica ran a hand through her curls a few times and let out a sigh. She was clearly anxious about this decision. "It's also important to me that she doesn't make the kind of choices he did," she continued, "and I'm afraid that I might be making a mistake keeping the truth from her just as his parents kept the truth from him. I don't think I'll ever be ready to tell her, but this is something I have to do whether I'm ready or not."

Lawrence realized that Veronica was facing her biggest fear, and this made him frustrated. Not with her, but with himself. Over the years he had developed feelings for her that went beyond friendship. She was smart, caring, and beautiful, yet for all of those years he had said nothing to her about it. Now, he was starting to have irrational thoughts and doubts that she could even feel the same way. He had not expected Loki to come back into the picture, and now that he was, he was starting to regret keeping his feelings to himself. He was sure she wouldn't fall for Loki's tricks a second time, but what did his presence mean for him, and what did it mean for his relationship with Pamela and her. They were all selfish thoughts, he knew, because this was about Pamela's well being, but he couldn't help it.

"So, tomorrow?" he asked.

"Tomorrow she will know that I had once fallen in love with Prince Loki and that she is a princess."

"And what about his attack on New York?" Lawrence asked.

"That, I don't think, she is ready for," Veronica replied, "She will be given the truth, but only as much as I think she can handle at a time."


End file.
